representative
Americannoun
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a person or thing that represents another or others.
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an agent or deputy.
a legal representative.
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a person who represents a constituency or community in a legislative body, especially a member of the U.S. House of Representatives or a lower house in certain state legislatures.
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a typical example or specimen of a group, quality, or kind.
adjective
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serving to represent; representing.
- Synonyms:
- characteristic, typical, exemplary, symbolic
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standing or acting for another or others.
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made up of representatives.
a representative assembly.
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Government. of or relating to a system of governance by chosen representatives, usually elected from among a large group, as in
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exemplifying a group or kind; typical.
a representative selection of Elizabethan plays.
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corresponding to or replacing some other species or the like, as in a different locality.
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of, relating to, or characteristic of representationalism.
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pertaining to or of the nature of a mental image or representation.
noun
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a person or thing that represents another or others
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Often shortened to: rep. a person who represents and tries to sell the products or services of a firm, esp a travelling salesman
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a typical example
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a person representing a constituency in a deliberative, legislative, or executive body, esp ( capital ) a member of the House of Representatives (the lower house of Congress) See also House of Representatives
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a rugby player, football player, etc, chosen to represent a province in interprovincial sports
adjective
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serving to represent; symbolic
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exemplifying a class or kind; typical
a representative example of the species
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containing or including examples of all the interests, types, etc, in a group
a representative collection
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acting as deputy or proxy for another or others
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acting for or representing a constituency or the whole people in the process of government
a representative council
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of, characterized by, or relating to the political principle of representation of the people
representative government
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of or relating to a mental picture or representation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of representative
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (adjective), from Medieval Latin repraesentātīvus, from repraesentāt(us) “made present” ( see representation) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
If you're representative of some group, you're typical, you’re a lot like most of the others. You might also be a representative for your group; you were elected to act on behalf of those you represent. The U.S. and many other democracies have representative governments, in which voters elect people to act on their behalf — to represent them. In the U.S., the House of Representatives is the largest legislative body. Its members — congressmen and congresswomen — are elected by the voters of their districts. These representatives are supposed to listen to the views of the people from their districts and act in their best interests.
Vocabulary lists containing representative
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Election Lingo
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U.S. Government Lingo
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Trade Representative under President Biden, who spoke at the briefing.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
In March, the High Representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace, Nickolay Mladenov, laid out a detailed plan for Palestinian armed groups to decommission their weapons, starting with rockets, explosives and assault rifles.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Tuesday about the most pressing elements of the trade deal, according to a spokesperson for the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
The deputy US Trade Representative, Rick Switzer, told the Council of Foreign Relations last week that Carney was acting "superior" and was letting his "ego" prevent him from acting in Canada's best interests.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
At issue was a bill introduced by Representative Andrew J. May of Kentucky and Senator Edwin C. Johnson of Colorado following a presidential message to Capitol Hill.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
